Sunday, March 18, 2012

Mrs. Dalloway- Part Three

The ending of the story really helped me to see Septimus as Clarissa’s alter ego. When Clarissa retreated into her room to think about Septimus’s suicide she was not completely alone because the impression of the Prime Minister body was still in the chair. This represents that no one is ever alone or free. Helping me see Septimus as Clarissa’s alter ego because she was actually able to feel the influence of social pressures that led to Septimus’s death and her success. In Mrs. Dalloway the characters are psychological described as similar throughout the novel however, I think the ending make this psychological similarity more clear. Spetimus I feel acts on his emotions and feelings throughout the novel however, Clarissa thinks about her feelings and never acts. Both characters share the same psychological thoughts and ideas but Clarissa is envious of Spetimus because he actually acts on his feelings. Does anyone agree or have any other ideas on how Septimus is Clarissa alter ego?

1 comment:

  1. While I agree entirely about the similarities you brought fourth in describing Septimus as Clarissa's alter-ego, I was more dumbfounded by the revelation that Clarissa had at the party following Septimus's death. I found it rather odd that while she was angered that the women told her about his death at her party, after retreating into her room and reflecting on his suicide, she was neither shocked nor depressed but rather at peace with his decision, one that ultimately gave her the peace of mind, so to speak, to accept the decisions that she had made and the society in which she must continue to live in. Because this was such an usual reaction to death, I questioned whether or not there was something that these two characters shared that the reader was not blatantly aware of.

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